


Nortvember 2018

by C1oudStrife



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Norting in Day 18, facial trauma in day 7, im so sorry for all the character tags, mild eye trauma in day 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2019-08-16 18:04:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 7,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16500149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C1oudStrife/pseuds/C1oudStrife
Summary: Short drabbles based on the prompt list for Nortvember!Each day is a different drabble about a different character.





	1. Your Pick - Young Xehanort

**Author's Note:**

> i really wanted to do nortvember when i saw it so!! doing some drabbles.  
> day 1 is your pick, so starting off with YX.  
> posted a day late but still counts

Xehanort stared out at the sunset over the water, the one he’d seen every day of his life. His eyes narrowed. Was it possible to hate the sea simply for being the sea?

No, it wasn’t the sea. It was dull familiarity. It was the sound of the waves becoming nothing more than bothersome background noise and the stench of the air being too commonplace.

Something stirred deep within his heart. A yearning for something more than the simple beaches of his home.

No, the feeling was deeper than that. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew something greater was out there. He could feel it calling to him. It was as if it had once before, perhaps in a dream, perhaps in a memory that had faded from his mind.

Stars began to twinkle into view as the sun sank lower. Out among them… there were other worlds. Worlds Xehanort felt a yearning to see. He didn’t know how he learned this information, but the feeling in his heart told him it had to be true.

Even if it wasn’t… there was only one way to find out for sure. He’d never learn anything rotting away on a tiny island. Even if there turned out to be nothing out there after all, it was still something new. Something besides water and sand and seagulls.

That night, as he watched the sun fall over the sea, Xehanort made his choice.

“This world… is just too small.”


	2. Xigbar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's on time at least  
> WARNING: some talk about eye trauma is mentioned in today's prompt. mostly just mildly describing the wound.

Xigbar’s own single eye glared back at him from the mirror. He couldn’t help glaring at it that morning, thinking about days past, days to come.

Half Xehanort… a pact made what felt like forever ago. With the mangled state of his face, perhaps the better term was half gone. Perhaps he was a bit of both. Who was he to say? The pact promised power beyond his wildest dreams. He hardly bothered thinking about the true extent of the price.

Xigbar carefully took off his eyepatch and stared at the fleshy chasm he’d hidden underneath. It still felt odd, the ghostly sense of knowing half of his vision was missing despite how easily he adapted to one less eye.

In a way, his eye socket was like his heart. Was it as empty chasm in there as well, now that he’d been changed into a Nobody, or was Xehanort’s heart still festering like some disease inside?

His hand reached up, not quite touching the empty wound. He supposed he didn’t need an answer to that question. Heart or no heart, Xehanort would always be there, always find his way back. Especially so if the plan went how it was supposed to.

Xigbar settled his eyepatch back into place and fixed his hair into its usual slicked back ponytail. He was at least still half himself. That was better than the fate of others, in a way.

That was the good side of taking favors and accepting his place. He may have lost his eye, he may have lost his original heart, but eventually everything would pay off. All he had to do was follow the leader and wait.


	3. Xaldin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one nort but two characters in the fic today!  
> Xaldin's fight in kh2 is difficult but i really love his fighting style  
> ...i have a weakness for dragoons.

A lance slammed down like a spear into the ground. Sora safely jumped back and looked up at the sky in search of the party’s attacker.

Five more lances whirled dangerously in the air. The sixth tugged itself out of the dirt and joined back with the others, adding to the threatening display.

The lances spun faster, faster, until all six threw themselves down dangerously close to Sora. They missed only by a hair, but he got no time to rest as a figure emerged from between them and grabbed one, stabbing it in Sora’s direction and making it clear he wasn’t going anywhere without a fight.

Sora parried the strike in one quick movement. The figure hopped back as his hood fell, the rest of his lances following and whirling warningly around him.

Xaldin recollected himself easily and glared down at Sora with cold, yellow eyes. The dark locks of his hair had faded almost white since the last time the two had crossed paths.

Even in the short time Sora had met the lancer, he could tell this was only a shell of who the Nobody used to be. The man who rushed again at the keyblade wielder had been changed to nothing more than Xehanort in a Xaldin-shaped shield.

Sora parried the next strike again, throwing them back into a draw. Was Xaldin even conscious of the fight? Did he know what he was fighting for? It almost felt cruel, to raise the keyblade against such an opponent.

Sora was left no time to debate morality as Xaldin poised to strike again. The lancer jumped, his lances swirling dangerously again as he aimed at his target.


	4. Vexen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am not used to writing vexen lol  
> did the best i could with what ive got though

The lab had long frozen over, to the point the door barely opened anymore. That was fine, though. Vexen never needed guests, and there were easier ways in and out of a room should he need it.

It was admittedly difficult to work when ice coated everything, but it was also oddly comforting, to whatever part of Vexen still slept inside the husk Xehanort had taken over. The world outside matched the strange feeling inside.

Of course, that meant he was far more comfortable in the lab than anywhere else. Some would say that was hardly a change, really. The icicles hanging from everything and cold yellow eyes greeting anyone who entered seemed the only indicators something was even off.

Xehanort had allowed Vexen quiet space to continue what research he needed to do, with permission on the subject, of course. Though, really, it was obvious who was truly in control of Vexen’s current project. A new backup plan, just in case, never hurt anything. Especially when the Chilly Academic had proven somewhat successful before in making replicas. Perhaps all they’d need was Xehanort’s own touch to keep any others from defecting or causing problems.

Thus, Vexen worked, in cold, quiet peace. When it was time for the fated day, Xehanort would know where to find him, and the project would be ready.


	5. Lexaeus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really hope i spelled his name right hfsdhfs  
> i realized halfway through this that lex was in rikus story in com so uh. pretend sora knew data lex or met him sometime or something idk. maybe mickeys in the party. maybe riku. i only mentioned sora by name you never know.

Sora and his party were stopped by a large man standing in their path. His axe sword that he had settled in front of him gave away his identity easily, but it was clear instantly this wasn’t the usual Lexaeus the party knew.

His eyes opened, cold and yellow, as he glared at the trio. His hair had faded to a pale silver that might as well have been considered white.

Lexaeus raised his weapon, threatening a challenge, and Sora summoned his keyblade in preparation. The size of his blade proved he was likely powerful already in his Nobody days, there was no telling whether it was even more terrifying now.

Lexaeus launched forward, dragging his weapon along the ground, spraying huge chunks of dirt and rock in every direction.

Sora parried with magic. Lexaeus slashed right through the spell, but managed to miss his actual target. Sora jumped back, putting more space between himself and the weapon, surprised by the display of strength.

Lexaeus slowly recovered himself and prepared for another attack. Sora and the rest of the party reacted as well. None were really quite sure how to handle Lexaeus’s heavy hits, but he likely wasn’t going to let them pass otherwise.

Lexaeus dove forward again, leaving a rift in the earth where he dragged his weapon. He moved at surprising speed, giving the party no time to think before the second strike landed.


	6. Zexion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall ever think about how ienzo/zexion was a child in bbs  
> yall ever think about how young he is while everything bbs-com is goin down

Zexion sat alone in the library, quietly flipping through a book. Illusions danced from the pages as he turned them, emptily reminding him of days long forgotten.

His yellow eyes skimmed the pages with hardly any interest. Once long ago, these memories were the most important thing in the world to him, these people were his world. Then, while the people stayed, emptiness enveloped the emotions attached, though they stayed his family.

Then… Xehanort. The real one, not the one he grew up knowing. At least as much as one could truly know an amnesiac who clearly had more to his story than first perceived.

At this point, it was Xehanort keeping his family together. Considering the circumstances, maybe his family was Xehanort now. He’d technically been among them before, anyway.

Zexion flipped another page. He knew he wasn’t quite himself anymore either, but he hadn’t been for a very long time. He wasn’t quite sure anymore if there was a “self” to bother recovering.

He had his family. He had Xehanort. If all went well, they’d all have even more bonding them together. What else did he need?

He flipped another page, settling himself deeper into the comfort of the library. He hardly saw in that moment how anything could go wrong.


	7. Saïx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> went a little above the word limit with this one lol  
> i could write entire fics about various ways ive thought about Saïx getting his scar  
> but for today its supposed to be short  
> WARNING: facial trauma. nothing too graphically detailed but the act of scarring one's face is spoken about.

Saïx sat quietly, alone, waiting in a small empty room. It had only been mere days since the Organization had started. If he could feel, he’d feel guilty for already getting into trouble. He stared down at the floor.

Finally the door opened, and Saïx looked up. Xemnas and Xigbar stepped into the room. One still carrying that cold calmness, the other cracking a grin.

“Well, well. Party’s only just begun and the newbie thinks he can run around doing whatever he wants.”

Saïx decided it was best not to argue with Xigbar on the fact that technically everyone was new in the Organization at the moment. Just because he was Number II didn’t mean he had to go acting higher than everyone else.

Saïx must have scowled, because Xigbar’s grin grew wider. The Freeshooter turned to Xemnas, who still gave away nothing about his thoughts. “You know what he said to do about those who feel like making their own plans.”

Who were they talking about? Xemnas was the leader of the Organization. There couldn’t be anyone higher than him.

An ethereal blade spilled out from Xemnas’s palm. “Keep our eyes on them.”

Saïx tried to duck back against the wall when Xemnas lunged forward and grabbed him by the hair. Xigbar was still grinning behind him, just within view. “Don’t worry, it only hurts for a moment.”

Pain seared through Saïx’s face, though he found himself unable to scream. Xemnas leaned close to Saïx’s ear as he dragged his blade along the other’s skin. “So long as you bear the recusant’s sigil, we will know where you’ve been.”

Xemnas let go, and Saïx grabbed his own bloody face and whimpered helplessly.

“Leave him be. He will need time to adjust.” Xemnas’s voice was the last thing to ring through the room before he and Xigbar left, leaving Saïx alone again.

No. Saïx would never be alone anymore. Not while that scar was etched across his face.


	8. Axel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not sure i have much to say on axel day, but :0

“I’ll always be there to bring my friends back.”

Axel’s own words rang through his mind. That was true. It would always be true, no matter what, but he certainly didn’t expect it to end up like it did.

At first, he just wanted Saïx back from Xehanort’s clutches. An easy goal. They were always friends, despite the disagreement they’d been having lately. The disagreement Xehanort had likely wedged between them.

Then, Roxas. Lea’s two best friends had ended up on the wrong side, and suddenly the task seemed more daunting than before.

Then… her. Lea couldn’t remember her name at first, but seeing her there with Saïx and Roxas probed at a memory long forgotten.

He caved, just enough for worry to sink in. Just enough for Xehanort to offer something else. Him, in exchange for all of them.

Lea agreed, and took on the name Axel once again. Then, he had the strangest change of heart as Xehanort took over.

He realized letting his friends go meant he would lose them yet again, not to darkness, but to light.

So, the four of them stayed, all together at last, with Xehanort to guide them.

After all, Axel would always be there to bring them back. He supposed it didn’t matter how, or where. Those were the minor details of a promise he’d always keep.


	9. Demyx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ive literally been begging for demyxnort even just for the concept of xehanort having a funky bard to play him some tunes whenever he wants

A calm tune wafted through the newly reobtained Castle That Never Was.

Some of the old Nobodies, the members of the first Organization, recognized the sound easily. Most of them wondered why he was back, what purpose Xehanort could have found in the Melodious Nocturne that hardly did anything before.

However, as the music wafted through the empty halls, they began to understand.

Demyx hardly considered himself a fighter, but he was wonderful with music. His presence added an atmosphere to the quiet castle none could ever hope to replicate.

His music added life to the previously depressing corridors. Various different styles and tunes echoed along as the days went on, and some of the more lively vessels had begun humming along with repeated songs they’d memorized.

Demyx himself stayed stationed somewhere quiet, where his music would easily be able to coat every inch of the castle. Some vessels could come along and ask for a song, or simply watch him play.

It was hard to say what went on in Demyx’s mind anymore, or how much of himself was left since Xehanort’s takeover. His yellow eyes stayed blank as he played his songs, hinting nothing of the man he used to be.

There were some who tried to catch a sign of his old personality between songs or on dreary days, but Demyx never faltered. Too much nagging led him to swap to an eerie tune, a warning to leave him in peace.

Eventually, Xehanort’s other vessels learned to leave him be.

Demyx continued his music in silence. The only thing that probed at his new heart was the hope that Xehanort himself would hear and approve of the sound.


	10. Luxord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much comment  
> enjoy day 10! 1/3 there

“Why don’t we let a coin decide?”

Luxord pulled out a simple heads or tails coin as he spoke to the elderly Master Xehanort. It only seemed fair, to let luck decide his fate.

Well, at least fair to him. Luxord cracked a smirk as the old man agreed to his game.

The coin went up, and Luxord felt no fear as it spiralled back down. He was a gambler, the best out there, it felt almost like cheating to use his good luck to win.

The coin dropped, and the two moved closer to see the results. Luxord’s cheeky grin faltered.

Heads.

Luxord had hardly bothered worrying about which side to choose. It always landed on the side he wanted.

So he had let Xehanort pick heads.

It was Luxord’s own coin, there was no way the old man could have rigged it. Perhaps Luxord should have felt guilty for immediately assuming such. He’d just never met anyone luckier than him.

Xehanort smiled. “I do believe this means you’ll be coming with me.”

“It seems so. Congratulations.”

The process at least wasn’t painful. It was over in a moment, and Luxord hardly felt too much different. Just this weighted feeling of not being alone, not being in charge anymore.

He picked up his lucky coin and put it back away. “Shall we get going then?”


	11. Marluxia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... confession.  
> i kinda have chronophobia and im realizing this miiiight be gnawing at it a little bit  
> i still want to keep up with and finish this but i might be a bit easier on considering them "days" just so i dont stress myself into oblivion
> 
> otherwise hello welcome to marluxia day  
> i didnt know what to do for this one so i tried my best

Outwardly, hardly much seemed different about Marluxia. Pale yellow eyes and silver hair perhaps, but those were a trademark sign of Xehanort that haunted just about everyone he possessed. They hardly seemed noteworthy differences anymore.

Those who knew him well were able to tell there was more going on.

After the old events of what happened in Castle Oblivion, just about everyone was aware of reasons to distrust the Graceful Assassin. There were plenty who remembered who immediately worried about his presence again.

However, over time, it began to become easier to notice how deep Xehanort’s influence ran.

Marluxia seemed completely blank on any plans not building off of the role Xehanort had already given him. Further probing would prove him oblivious to his rank or reasons for even being among the other vessels.

Marluxia remembered his old plotting, of course. Though, he couldn’t place why he bothered anymore, or what would happen after. Xehanort had made sure to stifle away any plans to steal everything he was working for.

All that ended up left was a perfect vessel. Talking to the Graceful Assassin was the same as usual, at least until the thought of betraying Xehanort came into the topic.

Then, the vessel shone through. The dedication and emptiness Xehanort had filed into him would be noticeable.

The same mistake would not happen twice.


	12. Larxene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much comment for this one from me.  
> definitely not keeping up with the whole days thing anymore lmao but at the very least i wanna finish all the prompts while its still november

Larxene was a deadly choice of vessel, once put to the test. She’d already started with hardly any morals of her own, it was easy to mold them into following Xehanort’s point of view.

What resulted was a cold, cunning fighter who would always find her way out of a mess. Well, out of any mess save for her own identity of course.

Her time as a traitor still rang clear to those who knew her.

Of course, for Xehanort, other vessels knowing her was a perfect result of the original Organization XIII. As well as breaking down her identity enough for his own to take over, at least.

It wasn’t a complete issue to let Larxene keep her fight. It made her useful, dangerous. The exact kind of vessel Xehanort needed. A bit of tweaking, and Xehanort’s heart threatening her from within, and she was taught quick the one person she would have to respect.

There were thoughts about betraying again, yes, but they found themselves completely stamped out eerily quickly. Larxene herself could hardly remember them when they occurred.

Instead, she simply continued Xehanort’s plan, mostly oblivious to who she was before it. Her personality was still there, but her memories were growing more and more hazy by the day, and a powerful loyalty to Xehanort pulsed where her new heart stayed.


	13. Roxas

Roxas slowly blinked his eyes open. It was his first time awake since merging back with Sora.

Except, as he worked his way further into consciousness, he realized he wasn’t with Sora anymore. He was his own person again, back to his own face.

Gilded eyes stared at him, but he didn’t recognize the owner. Xemnas was standing behind the unfamiliar man and cracked a cold, emotionless smile. “So glad you could join us again, Roxas.”

Roxas startled, ready to fight, when a pain pierced his chest.

He relaxed, though it felt against his own will. No, did he have a will anymore? Did he ever have one? Roxas looked back up at the stranger again, but this time a name formed in his head, as if the two had known each other for a very long time.

Xehanort.

The pain ebbed away, and in its place… some form of comfort. An urge to be his own person, and a tug from Xehanort offering a way. An offering from Xehanort to not be Sora.

Roxas agreed, and slowly stood up. Xemnas and Xehanort guided him out of the room he’d found himself awake in. Behind them, the unconscious forms of Sora and his friends slept hidden out of Roxas’s sight.

There was no reason for the young Nobody to find out who had been really looking for him. He was among Xehanort’s vessels now, living as one of them as for as long as he would need to.


	14. Xion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> three new ones today! :3c  
> some good progress

Xion knew no one remembered her. She could see it in the blank stares and hear it in the way everyone avoided saying her name. Roxas and Axel seemed as though they were talking to a complete stranger, and the other members of the old Organization XIII hardly batted an eye at her return.

That was fine, though. Xehanort knew who she was. Xehanort offered her a place where she could start forming her own new memories.

It felt bitter, to hold so much dear and have no one else recall such a time. However, standing at Xehanort’s side, it would have to become impossible to forget her again. It would be impossible to tread all over her and shove her aside. Xehanort understood her better than Xemnas, or Vexen, or any other of the old XIII ever could.

Of course, it felt sour as well, to have to work with those who once scolded her very existence. Like a slap to the pride she was learning to control again.

Xehanort promised though, that things were different now. Xemnas was no longer in charge, and him and all of the other vessels knew to respect anything Xehanort told them to, including Xion.

Not having anywhere else to go, she trusted him on that. She trusted the one person who seemed able to speak her name without needing to guess or blankly try figuring out long lost information.

She trusted Xehanort to give her an identity again.


	15. Naminé

If there was one thing Naminé loved, it was art. It didn’t matter if it was good, or powerful, or hard to decipher. It helped get out what she was trying to say, trying to do. It aided her in magic when she needed to use her special ability.

When Xehanort found out about that ability, he gladly set up a place for her to draw in peace. It was far better than the old castle and constant annoyances from when Marluxia had bothered her, and the black coat gifted to her was far more comfortable than her old rags of a dress.

Xehanort was slowly starting to feel like an old friend. A friend who had given her a heart, an art studio, and finally some nice clothes.

It only made sense to start drawing for him.

It started simple doodles at first. Her new family, her new friends. Then, the magic. It only really worked when it related to Sora, but there wasn’t much problem with that, right? Xehanort had said he needed Sora to help him complete the χ-blade. She could help by easing Sora along the path he needed to take.

So, Naminé drew. Her pale yellow eyes focused on the pages of her sketchbook as she worked. Hundereds, thousands of drawings soon spiraled across the floor, inching destiny closer, crayon stroke by crayon stroke.


	16. Sora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> halfway +1 :3c

Sora smiled calmly as he stepped out of the darkness. He used to know the group he was approaching, they used to be his friends.

However, that had long changed. He still knew their names. He could never forget. The old emotions though, those were gone. He had a task now. He had Xehanort.

His old friends greeted them. They were happy, cheery. Then, he watched their faces fall as realization started flowing over them.

“Sora!” A girl stepped out of the group. Kairi. She rushed to him and grabbed him in a strong hug. “You can’t let them fool you. You’re not one of them! You belong with us.” He could hear the desperate tears in her voice.

Sora left the hug unreturned. “What could you possibly mean?”

Kairi backed away, only a hair, and gently touched his chest. “Listen to your heart. Can’t you feel it?”

“Ah.” His smile evolved into a cold, uncaring grin. “Xehanort takes care of that now. So I think it’s perfectly happy telling me to stay with him.”

She stared at him, deep into his pale yellow eyes, but his answer remained unchanged. It never would change. Xehanort had carefully stifled out the happy boy who loved his friends.

Kairi backed away further, crestfallen. “I’m not giving up on you.”

“That’s alright. I don’t expect you to.” Xehanort needed her, and all the others, to follow along, after all.


	17. Riku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one didnt come out quiiiite like the idea i had, but i wouldve had to completely rewrite it to get that to work, so i worked with what i wrote

“I’m not afraid of the dark!” Riku shouted at the empty chasm that swarmed his vision, though he hardly believed his own words.

Ansem - no, Xehanort - had turned into a constant shadow over his life, a constant worry. It was hard to say he wasn’t afraid of that.

It was harder to say he wasn’t afraid of the situation he’d gotten himself into.

Riku had been a passive watcher in his body once before. He had to admit, he made some foolish choices when he was young and impressionable.

This time those choices were coming back to haunt him.

It was becoming a constant battle to keep control of his body. Xehanort’s Heartless made sure to let Riku know he would always be around. The fights for control had almost become daily.

Was it possible for a Heartless’s motivation and strength to wear down in the same way that a human’s did? Ansem had once been human, surely he would know the feeling.

Then again, he had also once been Xehanort. He still was Xehanort. Riku hardly knew the man before the monster, but he seemed the type to never wear out.

As tired as he was though, as weak as his senses began to feel and how draining it was for his mistake to haunt him forever, he couldn’t give up either.

Riku’s eyes opened, pale and gold. He wasn’t afraid of the dark. Fighting against it, maybe all he needed was to borrow its strength. Fight fire with fire, until either’s embers burned away.


	18. Kairi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i might come back to this concept i like Princesses of Darkness :3c

Princesses of Heart were an enigmatic curiosity to their respective worlds. They were interesting enough at one point to seem worth Xehanort’s studies. Pure hearts of light without a drop of darkness to be seen. It only made sense to wonder if they held the keys to Kingdom Hearts.

What happened, though, if one added artificial darkness to the mix? Force its interaction with the heart of pure light?

The interest was enough to drive Xehanort’s own curious heart. There were plenty princesses to choose from for the test, but one caught his eye as easiest to find. As for the darkness, it seemed most beneficial to use his own.

Thus, Kairi was chosen. She fought back more than Terra had, likely due to the lack of darkness for Xehanort’s heart to cling to. The repelling force almost convinced Xehanort his test might fail, that it would be impossible to possess a Princess of Heart or introduce her to darkness of any kind.

Then, a snap. The room went quiet, as if the world itself was waiting the results.

Kairi’s hair bleached white, and her eyes burned gold. She - They - He - woke with a strange, new feeling in their heart. One Kairi had never experienced before.

The strength of darkness burned through their being. Kairi couldn’t help but smile.


	19. Aqua

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> does this count as aquanort?  
> it does now

“Fear begets anger, and anger beckons the darkness.”

Master Eraqus’s old words rang through Aqua’s mind again. The memories of her friends and family had been all that was keeping her going lately during her extended visit in the Realm of Darkness. She missed them, dearly. Some days the darkness felt too close, and she just missed the warm hugs they would give. She missed the times they’d laugh or goof off together.

Now she hardly knew if they were alive. Sometimes she wondered if she was alive.

Aqua wasn’t quite sure when the changes had started occurring. The pale hair, the golden eyes. They reminded her of… something she shouldn’t forget, but the memory tugged at her fear. She didn’t have the strength to fight her own darkness long enough for that to matter, she supposed.

The changes didn’t seem all that bad, anyway. They gave Aqua the strength to get up again, the strength to keep looking for the people that mattered.

At first, she was afraid it was darkness, but it couldn’t have been. The new power was warm, and inviting, and felt like part of her family was there with her, guiding her. By that logic, it had to be some special form of light. It had to be.

Light had to be the reason the Heartless had stopped fighting her, and why the Realm of Darkness’s pain had dulled into an emotional ache.

Yet why, then, did the darkness seem to keep trying to beckon her as if it were an old friend?


	20. Ventus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;w; 2/3 there.  
> idk if ill finish in time of november but. pretty far at least?

In a different chain of events, a different outcome was simple. Ventus had darkness after all, it was proven through Vanitas. Xehanort had found it shameful for such a good potential vessel to go to waste, but he found a new use in the two forming the χ-blade.

However, that failed as well. So it was back to Plan A.

The heart was powerful in its ability to heal. The concept of Nobodies, and their ability to regrow a heart if left to do so was plenty proof of that. Thus, Ventus couldn’t hide from himself forever.

In its own way, darkness returned to him, balancing him, during Vanitas’s absence. With Vanitas still missing, perhaps it was simply that he returned home. Regardless what the case was, it provided Xehanort an opening.

Reducing Ventus’s friends to mere dark shells of themselves was child’s play. Eraqus had been so busy teaching them archaic views about external forces of darkness, he had never truly taught them how to confront their own.

In the end, overcome with emotions, Ventus submitted. Not without a fight, of course. Physically, he looked the same, but mentally, he had grown. Despite his newfound strength, though, it just wasn’t enough to battle with Xehanort’s own mind, his own heart. He ended up even easier to stifle than Terra had been.

Xehanort finally had his original target, but it was far too late for celebration. The new battle was upon them, and Ventus had been demoted to nothing more than a pawn in the grand scheme.

Perhaps this time he would succeed in his role.


	21. Terra

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this... counts. right? right.

Even with his being split apart into a Heartless and a Nobody, Terra still found a way to struggle and fight back. He still refused to give up, for himself, for his Master, and for his friends.

It was clearer for Xemnas, between the two. He was a Nobody, he was empty where a heart should be. No, just Xehanort where a heart should be. Yet, as a Nobody, he thrived off of memories. It was an oddity, considering the struggle between Terra and Xehanort had turned him into an amnesiac during his time as a Somebody.

At the very least, Terra’s memories somehow found themselves safe with him. He saw it in the blue armor he kept, and in Roxas’s strangely familiar face, and sometimes in Xion as well. He saw friends there. Someone else’s, yet somehow his own. It was proof that something of Terra still remained.

Ansem was a different case. Visibly, emotionally, and verbally, he was Xehanort, it was impossible to mistake. Yet, by logic, Xehanort’s heart couldn’t have been the only one released when the Heartless and Nobody had split.

Terra’s fighting had quieted, but it never stopped. Sometimes the answer to a battle was making one’s opponent think they had won.

Then, when the time came, when their guard was down, one would strike, taking back the upper hand.


	22. Vanitas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i dont rly. want to write hayner pence and olette all that much. just personally.  
> so instead i have 3 other characters i wanted to nort anyway so ill do them.  
> heres vanitas. it counts even tho its more xehanort right. its xehanort-vanitas

Possessing Vanitas had been a last-ditch effort. It wasn’t part of the plan, but if there was anything Xehanort was especially good at, it was adjusting his thoughts quickly.

Vanitas was small, but being physically separated from his own light, he was powerful. At least with Xehanort’s guidance, anyway. The more darkness available, the easier it was for Xehanort to stick, and the more power he had to go along with it, and Vanitas ran on pure darkness alone.

The hiccup came in the form of Vanitas’s own abilities. Quite literally, it formed.

Being in control of Vanitas’s heart, Xehanort found himself in control of his Unversed as well. They formed more linked to Xehanort’s emotions now, though the occasional amalgamation of both’s would appear when Vanitas tried struggling for his state of being.

To Xehanort, it was a fascinating, useful nuisance. On one hand, the Unversed were powerful, and it would prove easy to find a use for them.

On the other hand, it made Xehanort feel far too open. He was used to being a mystery, to hiding his emotions and thoughts. It was an odd state of discomfort to watch his emotions take shape and writhe around him, which in turn led to more forming as he processed their presence.

He began to understand Vanitas’s distaste for them.

At the very least, it was a minor inconvenience. He wouldn’t go down the road his apprentice had, of cycling the pain and agony. He just needed a body until it was time for the arrival of Kingdom Hearts, and Terra had at least taught him that no body was truly perfect.

For now, though, for the task he needed, Vanitas would do.


	23. Eraqus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy, uh... June.   
> sorry for going so long without updating this. i went ahead and finished whatever days i hadn't done yet, and i'm just going to upload them all now.   
> thank you if you read the rest of them.

It was hard, for Xehanort to truly cut ties with his old best friend. It wasn’t for lack of trying, of course. After Eraqus had made perfectly clear how much disdain he had for darkness and Xehanort’s ideas, things had been harsh between them.

Despite the sting, though, and despite saying otherwise, Xehanort began to miss the other in their time apart. Eraqus was the first and only person he’d gone through just about everything with.

It was perhaps the loneliness that caused Xehanort to begin to form a new plan. He wasn’t one to dump all his hopes into one plan without any backups, after all.

Xehanort had already chosen Eraqus’s pupil as a new vessel. Terra was exactly the type of person he’d been looking for. Though, after Ventus proved to be a failure, Xehanort had begun to wonder if transferring his heart would even work.

Xehanort would need a test subject, and the idea of opening Kingdom Hearts by his best friend’s side was too intoxicating to resist.

Eraqus was by no means a man with a dark heart. Quite the opposite, Eraqus believed in the absolute of light. If he truly knew the heart, though, Eraqus would also know that no heart was completely void of darkness. At least… save for certain ones, but Eraqus was not one of those select few.

That would be Xehanort’s loophole. He had no idea how deep Eraqus’s darkness would be, the other was certainly good at bottling it, but the simple act of bottling it in itself proved Eraqus likely had more to hide than he let on.

Xehanort wouldn’t need complete darkness, Eraqus was only a test after all. Xehanort only needed to insert a small fraction of his heart, just enough to make Eraqus see reason. If his theories were right, he’d only need to find whatever darkness Eraqus was keeping locked away for that to be successful.

Then… Xehanort would have his friend back. The world Xehanort sought to create truly would be perfect.

It was time for the pieces to begin to take their place.


	24. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness

If there was any virtue Ansem could say he received due to his revival, it was hindsight. He gained the hindsight to be able to see how hasty he was in his initial research. Not just with his previous notes on Kingdom Hearts, but on his understanding of Heartless and Nobodies. By extension, his understanding of himself.

Ansem knew far more than any of the other vessels for quite some time. He had to, he was the closest true successor to Xehanort in the elder’s absence, and he was the one tasked with guiding the younger Xehanort to his place.

In a way, perhaps hindsight and knowing too much had consequences.

Perhaps a part of him, in the back of his mind, knew his solo plan would fail. He’d employed the younger Xehanort as a backup, but wouldn’t the other’s presence of time traveling around already prove that the backup was required? 

Perhaps Ansem himself had only been a backup all along. Something about that soured his sense of self. Ansem was supposed to be the one to open Kingdom Hearts and rule with its power. Among the other vessels, he was only… maybe second best, depending on where Xemnas stood on the hierarchy. If there even was a hierarchy anymore. How shameful, to be outshone by his own Nobody.

Yes… shameful. Humiliating. In hindsight, perhaps the greatest flaw in Xehanort’s planning was allowing his backup vessels free reign for so long. The more Ansem thought on it, the more he wondered what made the eldest Xehanort so much more important than the others. What made him more worthy of Kingdom Hearts?

Ansem had been the closest to its power. His only fault had been an erroneous hypothesis, a blast of light where he’d noted darkness reigning.

He knew what to expect this time. He deserved the chance to try again.

After all, a true scientist needed to give things more than one attempt before calling something a failure.


	25. Donald Duck

“Hey, Donald! A little help?”

A careless move had caused Sora and Goofy to find themselves surrounded by Heartless. Normally Donald was the best at helping to bail them out of such situations. His powerful magic was a force to be reckoned with. It was strong enough to make any adversary flee in terror, or cure whatever wounds ailed the party.

However, for some reason, this time he didn’t respond to Sora’s calls.

Goofy, taller than Sora, could see their friend just outside the circle of encroaching darkness. He was turned away from them, but he should have definitely been able to hear them.

Both continued to call out to Donald, fending off what Heartless they could. With the distance narrowing between them and the oncoming horde, Sora had a feeling they’d hardly last much longer without the duck’s assistance. 

“Donald, come on! What’s wrong with you? Can’t we talk about this?”

Goofy put up his shield to knock away a stray Heartless that jumped at him. “Preferably after the life or death scenario?”

Sora batted off a few more Heartless with his keyblade, only for a few others to begin to latch on. “Donald!”

Donald finally perked up, and turned in response. His golden eyes locked with Sora’s blue ones, just before the swarm descended on his two friends.


	26. Goofy

Sora, Donald, and Goofy managed to get separated as they were chasing down a member of the Organization.

Sora continued alone, positive that his friends would catch up when they could find him. They couldn’t let whoever the Organization member was get away. He was already getting frustrated by how much they were taunting him.

He continued through the maze of rubble, until movement caught his eye. He summoned his keyblade, and rounded the corner ready to fight, only to nearly rush directly into Donald. They both narrowly avoided bonking each other in the head with their respective weapons, and took a moment to regroup, happy to see a familiar face.

“Any sign of Goofy?”

Donald shook his head with a sad sigh.

Sora frowned for a moment, but quickly recovered and smiled again. “Well, that’s okay. I’m sure he’ll catch up when he finds his way to us.”

The comment seemed to lift Donald’s spirits, and the two set off again to track down the Organization member. Hopefully they didn’t go too far while Sora and Donald were resting.

They managed to catch up with the Organization member before they could find Goofy. The black-cloaked figure stood with their back to the two, staring out into the distance.

Sora and Donald readied their weapons, prepared to battle. The figure slowly turned toward the duo, pulling down the hood that obscured their identity as they did so.

Donald and Sora found themselves face to face with Goofy, his glowing yellow eyes and dark cloak almost completely concealing his status as the friend they once knew.

He readied his shield, no mercy in his posture, and the fight began.


	27. Mickey Mouse

“Mickey… You’re too late.”

The darkness that had once been Aqua outright growled as Mickey approached. He’d come alone, rescuing her was his promise, his duty.

His failure.

He could have been seconds late. Hours, days even. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t enough. He’d failed her.

Mickey didn’t even retaliate as Aqua lashed out at him. He didn’t want to fight her, he couldn’t. Aqua was still within that darkness, and the idea of having to battle one of his friends, a fight he could have prevented had he just gotten her out sooner, burned his heart.

He sank to his knees. The worlds had Sora, and Riku, and all of their friends now. Perhaps Mickey had been demanding too much of himself to play hero with them. Perhaps Aqua’s fate was the worlds’ sign that it was time for Mickey to admit he’d taken on too much responsibility, and now his friends would suffer for it.

Just as her keyblade rose over his head, a third party appeared. “Such a cruel twist of fate, for two keyblades that were once wielded side by side to now clash in a realm where only darkness wins.”

It was Ansem’s voice - the fake Ansem, Xehanort’s Heartless. Mickey glared at him.

Xehanort’s Heartless was unfazed by Mickey’s emotions. “If she is that important to your team of Lights, perhaps we can agree to a trade.”

“A trade… for what?”

“You, for her.”

Mickey looked at Aqua, who stood still ready to strike him down.

He had to save his friend. He had to fix his mistake, and bring to Sora someone who would be more likely to help them stop Xehanort.

Numbly, Mickey agreed.


	28. Cloud Strife

With a heavy heart, Cloud had begun to realize he’d need something stronger than light to defeat Sephiroth. No matter how many times the two clashed, Sephiroth would always simply get up again, brush off any bruises, and fly away, only to return and repeat the cycle. Cloud was his prisoner, and perhaps it was time to admit that fact.

Sephiroth would always taunt Cloud with everything he needed. Supposedly, all Cloud had to do was swear loyalty to the one-winged angel.

As if he’d ever stop fighting.

Cloud was the one thing standing between Sephiroth and the destruction of everything he held dear.

It was Xehanort, who, for the first time, offered something new. Offered everything Sephiroth ever did, and more, in exchange for helping him.

Of course the deal sounded fishy. It was the same as the one Sephiroth offered. The only difference was that it wasn’t Sephiroth offering it.

For Cloud, who was desperate to put an end to Sephiroth once and for all, who’d spent so much time fighting his own battle that he didn’t know anything about keyblade wars or χ-blades, that one little difference changed everything.

He accepted, with the ultimatum that Sephiroth had priority over whatever Xehanort was hiring him for. That the deal was just a job, not loyalty, not allegiance.

Not that Xehanort minded whatever name his new vessel gave his pet project.


	29. Sephiroth

Sephiroth had become well known as a powerful force of darkness lurking around Radiant Garden. No one really knew what he was. Some guessed a Heartless due to his rivalry with Cloud, but there was no proof the other was his Nobody, or if their link was even the same. Others wondered if he perhaps existed as another creature of darkness, they’d begun to realize there were plenty of varieties. No matter the theory, it was commonly agreed that Sephiroth was more darkness than human.

To Xehanort, that was useful. What was less useful was that Sephiroth seemed hardly interested in keyblades or the power of Kingdom Hearts, and preferred mainly whatever Cloud was involved in. The aged Keyblade Master found himself completely unable to discern the details of their rivalry, or why what seemed to be an average dark heart was so important to a being of absolute darkness. He’d wager his own reasons for gathering dark hearts, but Sephiroth had no keyblade of his own to enact the same plans as Xehanort.

Whatever his reasoning was, it was clear Sephiroth was not going to involve himself in a keyblade war unless Cloud was involved as well.

There was nothing that much special about Cloud as far as Xehanort was concerned. He was a simple heart like most others, erring more toward darkness than light thanks to Sephiroth’s prodding, and just as solely focused on his rivalry with Sephiroth as the other was with him.

Sephiroth was a smart one, like Xehanort himself. He’d be aware if Xehanort simply lied about Cloud to cut corners.

Though, as Xehanort thought about it, Sephiroth being so much like himself may have been the answer he was looking for. Perhaps it wasn’t about figuring out how to get Sephiroth to follow Xehanort’s goals, but to see how their goals aligned.

The first step, of course, would be to learn what Sephiroth’s goal actually was. Xehanort decided the best way to do that was to seek out the one-winged angel himself and begin a discussion.

Little did he know, that would be the beginning of Xehanort’s discovery of how similar he and Sephiroth truly were.


	30. Your Pick - Master Xehanort

The χ-blade.

Xehanort finally held it in his hand. The reality of its weight was awe-inspiring. He’d devoted his life to that moment, even more than just his life. He’d devoted everything to finding the χ-blade and opening Kingdom Hearts.

Now… it was time. All of his hard work would finally pay off.

Xehanort raised the χ-blade up toward the sky, up toward Kingdom Hearts. Power surged around him, weighing him down, testing him. Kingdom Hearts would not open for just anyone.

Of course, Xehanort was not just anyone.

He stood strong, unwavering against Kingdom Hearts’s sheer power.

An intense light burst out of the χ-blade, up into the sky. The beam struck Kingdom Hearts, and another wave of power burst out of it.

The door was opening. Xehanort had been accepted by Kingdom Hearts.

No, he’d been chosen. This moment had been intertwined with his fate since the day he left Destiny Islands. Perhaps even before then, as fate had already decided likely as far back as his birth that he would leave.

A blinding beam of light shot back down from Kingdom Hearts, engulfing Xehanort in its energy. It didn’t hurt him. In fact, quite the opposite - Xehanort could feel it imbuing power into his body, the very core of Kingdom Hearts flowing through his veins.

He grinned. The door was open.

It was time to right the world order.


End file.
